totem pole

noun

1

: a pole or pillar carved and painted with a series of totemic symbols representing family lineage and often mythical or historical incidents and erected by Indian tribes of the northwest coast of North America

2

: an order of rank : hierarchy

Illustration of totem pole

• totem pole 1

Examples of totem pole in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Hornets have been at the bottom of the totem pole for the past handful of years. —Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024

Survivor: Marquesas An underrated season that saw the first totem pole shake-up: where people on the bottom got together to overthrow those on the top. —Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2024

Stephen covers his wife’s body with his own, their faces stacked on the screen like a totem pole. —Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2024

Today, Angoon remains a quaint village of about 420 people, with colorful old homes and totem poles clustered on the west side of Admiralty Island, accessible by ferry or float plane, in the Tongass National Forest, the nation's largest. —CBS News, 26 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

totem pole

noun

: a pole carved and painted with symbols of totems and set up by Indigenous people of the northwest coast of North America